News Broadcasting
CEO Prasar Bharati elected CBA Vice President
NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati’s CEO KS Sarma has been elected vice-president of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association for a two-year term.
Sarma’s election to the key post at the premier public broadcasting association of the Commonwealth took place during CBA’s 25th General Conference at Fiji. Sarma now holds the distinction of being the vice-president of both the Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBA) and the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) at the same time. The Prasar Bharati CEO’s election underlines the important roles played by Doordarshan and All India Radio in promoting public service broadcasting in the world, an official release from Prasar Bharati said.
The London headquartered CBA is made up of 101 members from 55 countries. It aims to develop broadcasting skills through training, fostering freedom of expression and furthering the concept of public service broadcasting. Almost all the public radio and TV organizations of the Commonwealth countries and some private radio/TV corporations are members of the CBA.
The theme of the 25th General Conference held in Nadi, Fiji from 16 to 19 February was “The Next Generation – in Management, Technology and Programming.” The delegates discussed and debated the role of emerging technology in furthering the broadcasting sector.
Doordarshan’s role in promoting public service broadcasting got yet another boost today, with its much acclaimed health programme Kalyani bagging the CBA’s Best Health Programme Award.
The award for Kalyani comes close on the heels of DD winning the award for Outstanding Local Children’s programme for its AIDS awareness show – Haath Se Haath Mila.
Conceived and coordinated by the Development Communications Division of Doordarshan, Kalyani addresses nine key health issues like malaria, cancer, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy, blindness, anti-tobacco, iodine deficiency and water borne diseases. It is broadcast every Thursday at 6:30 pm from Doordarshan Bhopal, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Raipur, Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
